


Ian Janis

by consistently_inconsistent



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Deal With It, He's also new, How Do I Tag, Inspired by The Greatest Showman (2017), Keith is the director, M/M, also I heard Lance's last name was canonically Serrano now?, but bcos im emotionally attached to Mclain he's now Lance Serrano McClain, cos like she's the queen?, i mention Barret Wilbert Weed a lot, im obsessed with it, it's a one shot but like i might write a whole fic around the au?, kind of?, mean girls the musical yay, musical AU, they're producing a musical guys yay, this is really self indulgent just by the way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-01 04:23:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/consistently_inconsistent/pseuds/consistently_inconsistent
Summary: The first chorus came to an end and Lance started singing.Keith was taken aback with surprise. He had had no doubt that Lance would've been good - Shiro had vouched on him after all, but Keith didn't think he'd heard a male voice this talented since Brendon Urie or Freddie Mercury. It was clear, bright, abstract,raw and so so big in a way that screamed Broadway. His voice growled from time to time going seamlessly with the rest of his singing - just as it was in the original track, and boy, was he a performer.He sung with his entire body, his face contorted from expression to expression along with the change in lyrics. His voice dipped up and down hitting notes that Keith hadn't heard any male sing before, at least not outside videos on the internet and his body moved seamlessly along with the beat - a  tilt of the hips here a hand on his hart next, every action completed the words he sung.It was almost perfect, just the right amount of 'almost', just 'almost' enough to be playing Janis.//Kieth is directing his school's production of mean girls. Everything's going well, except they haven't cast one quintessential role: Janis Ian.





	Ian Janis

Keith already regretted agreeing to do this.

Shiro had been pestering him for years to join the Theater Society at school for the End Of Year Musical, Keith had held off for three years straight. Keith had always been a director, he was the secretary of the Film club but he'd never translated that into theater, or music despite the fact that Keith was a decent singer and pretty talented piano player. Finally, since it  _was_  junior year and Keith only had about 1 and a half years of high school left, he had given in. Of course he'd instantly regretted it because, really? They wanted to do a production of Mean Girls?

Keith had seen the musical, solid tracks, some really hard vocals and choreography, solid acting parts but why Mean Girls? There were literally hundreds of musicals they could've chosen to do - they as in the Altea Theater Society - but they they chose mean girls, not something iconic like Chicago or a modern classic like Heathers or something obscure but incredible like American Idiot, Nope, they chose a musical adaptation of a high school rom-com starring pre-fuck up Lindsay Lohan.

Still, together he and Shiro had set up a pretty solid cast list. Allura Altea was playing Cady with Nyma Sanders playing Regina George. Allura's second cousin Romelle Altea would be playing Karen Smith, Veronica Serrano McClain would be playing Gretchen Weiners, Rolo Park was to play Aaron Samuels, Shiro himself would be playing Shane Oman - since the guy could act, but not sing to save his life - and Hunk Garret would be playing Damien. Matt and Pidge, Altea High's resident child geniuses, were handling lights and sets and Keith and Shiro would be directing. All the extra's were cast, th school orchestra had agreed to do background musuc, pretty much everything was perfect, except for one gaping hole.

They still needed a Janis Ian.

"Shiro, I know I agreed to help you produce this things but I can't do anything if we can't find a Janis. No one in this school - who doesn't already have a role - has Barret's vocal range." Keith deadpanned, going over the list of students who'd tried out. There were a couple of promising candidates, there was a girl called Plaxum who wasn't half bad and Pidge too had offered to play the role, but neither could quite hit all the notes you needed to be able to reach to play a Barret Wilbert Weed role.

Shiro sighed thoughtfully, "I think I might know someone... it's just that well..."

"Well what, Shiro?" Keith said, impatient. He needed a full cast, he needed a Janis Ian.

Shiro shuffled his feet uncomfortably, "It's just that the person I have in mind... it's a... guy?"

Keith stilled, blinking owlishly at his friend. "You're telling me," he started, "that there is a guy in this school who has a vocal range that big? Like Barret Wilbert Weed big? And he didn't try out? For any role?"

Shiro shrugged, "Yeah, except, well Janis is a girl, he's a guy. Wouldn't casting a guy to play a girl be taking like 10 steps back in the phenomenon of feminism?"

"You've been spending too much time with Pidge."

Shiro chuckled, "She is my best friends sister." Keith shook his head, "Anyway, you're sure that this guy, whoever he is, can hit all the notes? Like every single one of them? They're pretty much some of the musicals highest notes. Also, can this guy act at all or like..."

"Jeez Keith, have some faith," Shiro chuckled, "I promise he can sing ALL the notes and he's an amazing actor AND he hasn't tried out yet." Shiro's smile was wide, Keith still felt doubtful, he sighed.

"Call him, then?"

Shiro shrugged, "I guess it's worth a shot. But I should warn you, there's an 85% chance he'll say no."

Keith was counting on the 15%.

 

 

 

They'd started practice today, starting off with whatever songs they didn't need a Janis to perform.

Currently it was just Allura on stage singing Stupid In Love, with Shay from the orchestra on the Piano. Allura was doing great, her voice was clear, steady, raw, but the song was hard, she went off here and there. For her first time singing it on stage though, she was great. It was almost enough to make Keith believe that they could out on a great show - until he remembered they had no Janis Ian.

He poked Shiro softly from next to him and whispered, "that guy who told me about yesterday, did you call him?" Shiro nodded, "Yup, it took a lot of persuasion on my end but he finally agreed, he said he'd come by today," he whispered. Allura's song came to an end and Keith clapped politely, "that was great," he said, "but-"

Keith was interrupted by the opening of a door and a voice saying, "Shiro?"

Keith spun around immediately, facing the door. There was a boy standing there, head peeking out, too far away for Keith to really notice any of his features. There was a wide grin on Shiro's face though as he loudly announced, "Lance! Come on in."

The boy stepped in walking towards Shiro and Keith, he turned and waved to Allura who raised a brow at him, smiling, "Lance? Are you finally joining us?" She asked fondly. Lance shrugged, "Let's see," he faced Shiro, "What's up?"

Who was this guy and why did everyone seem to know him?

The boy looked really familiar, and the name Lance was similarly so. He was skinny but not unhealthily so, with broad hips and long legs. He was tan and had sharp features with high cheekbones and a spatter of freckles across his nose, his hair was piled on top of his head in soft subtle curls and his eyes were an unexpected deep aquamarine color - he looked a lot like Veronica, who was playing Gretchen Wieners.

He was attractive, intimidatingly so. Dressed in a fashion that could only be described as 'trendy' in his black cuffed mom jeans and denim jacket with a white ringer tee that said "beach boy" on it in bold black letters. His shoes were those white Nike ones that looked really vintage and everyone on tumblr was obsessing over. He really did look familiar...

"Lance I'd like you to meet Keith Kogane, the director of the school musical this year," Shiro said, Keith nodded his head at Lance, Lance smiled back softly, "Keith I'd like you to meet Lance Serrano McClain, who will hopefully be joining us on set?" Shiro said, voice hopeful as he looked at Lance, well, hopefully. Also yes, since his last name was Serrano McClain he had to be Veronica's brother.

Lance eyed him up and down, eyebrow raised, "Yeah I think I know you, you're the secretary of the film club right?" Ah. That's where Keith knew him from.

"Yeah," he said, "And you're the secretary of the school Dance Club, right?" Lance nodded. The two clubs had always had a slight rivalry, Keith and Lance were newly christened secretaries, since both of them were juniors, but there was an instant competitive spurt in Keith. Lance looked him over suspiciously and then turned back to Shiro, "So what role do you want me to do this time?"

"Well..." Shiro started, "You're not gonna be happy about it bu-"

"Janis Ian," Keith said bluntly.

Lance grew wide eyed, "You want me to play Janis Ian? From Mean Girls? The musical?" Shiro nodded with a little more energy than required.

"Well, yeah," Keith said, "you'll still have to audition but Shiro said you were good, so yeah." Lance raised an eyebrow, "As much as I appreciate you're compliment Shiro you know that I don't have the time, there's a reason I left theater." Shay pouted, "but Lance!" she whined, "Your voice and Allura's go so well together! Just imagine the two of you in the end of Apex predator, you could hit those high notes in your sleep." So Shay knew him too, huh?

Keith didn't even know Lance Serrano McClain, secretary of the Dance Club, could sing in the first place. Let alone sing like Barret Wilbert Weed.

Lance sighed, "Come on Shay, don't hit me with the puppy dog eyes- oh my god, Shiro, 'Llura not you guys too." Lance squeezed his eyes shut and creased his eyebrows together. "Come one Lance!" Shiro pleaded, "You were born for broadway!"

Keith stared at Lance pointedly, he was going to try something he was pretty sure was gonna end badly. He sighed and braced for impact - this probably wasn't going to end well. "I guess you can't really sing that well after all."

That made an impact. "

What," Lance everything but snarled, voice agitated, the room was silent except from the hum of noise coming from backstage.

"I just mean that there's probably a reason that you're refusing to sing, maybe it's just cos' you know you're not good enough," Keith shrugged, "Or good at all for that matter, I mean, Shiro vouched on you but I've never really heard you sing at all." He was trying his best to keep his voice nonchalant, steady, he could feel Lance growing more and more agitated. "Keith," Shiro said in a warning tone. "What?" Keith said, "I mean he's just a dancer for gods sake, how good can he even-"

"Can you just shut the fuck up?"

"Maybe if you proved to me that you could actually sing?"

Lance's eyes pierced Keith's, and Keith had to look back into them because there was something about them, they were just so, so blue, they were almost unreal.

"Fine," Lance said through gritted teeth, he forced himself to look away from Keith and face Allura, "What song?" Shiro piped up, "Since Allura's already on stage we should do Apex Predator, just the right amount of challenging, plus then we can see how much chemistry you guys have in these roles."

Lance shrugged, discarding his backpack - which was one of those super expensive ones that every one on Tumblr had, Kanken's were they? - and jacket on the chair next to Shiro's and climbing onto stage. He gave Allura a short hug and Keith watched as the girl whispered something in Lance's ear, which made the boy smile and roll his eyes, he then caught Keith's stare and shot him a glare, one which Keith returned with an unimpressed raise of the eyebrow and a lazy smirk.

"Okay you two, I know that we're casting you guys in the opposite roles but Allura I want you to sing Janis's part and Lance I want you too sing Cady's, just so you can kind of get used to Allura's voice because she  _has_  practiced this song a couple times already," Shiro said, Lance nodded down at him from to stage and smirked, stretching his arms upward and cracking his knuckles. Keith was almost taken aback by the sudden change in his aura, from being determined, almost angry, to being almost excited, definitely ready to perform.

He flashed a grin at Shay who grinned back with just as brightly, Keith got the feeling they had worked together before, "Hit it, Shay," Lance said. Shay gave a confident grin and a nod and placed her fingers on the keys, playing the first chord.

Allura started it off, her voice flowed out. Her singing was great, almost perfect, too perfect to be playing Janice. She didn't have that growl to her voice, that bite, that was so essential to Janis' character, but she did great nonetheless. They'd done the song a couple times before with Allura so Keith was attuned to her singing this song by now. He just sat tight and waited for the second verse to start, for Lance to start.

The first chorus came to an end and Lance started singing.

Keith was taken aback with surprise. He had had no doubt that Lance would've been good - Shiro had vouched on him after all, but Keith didn't think he'd heard a male voice this talented since Brendon Urie or Freddie Mercury.

It was clear, bright, abstract,raw and so so big in a way that screamed Broadway. His voice growled from time to time going seamlessly with the rest of his singing - just as it was in the original track, and boy, was he a performer.

He sung with his entire body, his face contorted from expression to expression along with the change in lyrics. His voice dipped up and down hitting notes that Keith hadn't heard any male sing before, at least not outside videos on the internet and his body moved seamlessly along with the beat - a  tilt of the hips here a hand on his hart next, every action completed the words he sung.

It was almost perfect, just the right amount of 'almost', just 'almost' enough to be playing Janis.

The final bit of the song came and Keith almost stopped breathing when the note Lance hit was even higher than the one Allura did - that of course being the layout of the song. Their voices meshed together perfectly and neither missed a single harmony despite it being the first time they were singing this song together - it was by no means an easy song, they were just so in sync. They were perfectly replicating the growing but slightly strained relationship the two characters they were playing had in both the musical and the movie. Lance seemed to bring the best out of Allura too, she hadn't sung like this, with so much excitement, with so much comfort, since the day she had auditioned for the show.

Their voices faded out and Keith was left truly and utterly speechless.

Shiro and Shay hollered from around him and Lance and Allura gave each other proud, content looks. Keith just sat there, shocked, eyes trained on Lance in surprise and, while he would never admit it the brunette, awe.

Lance looked out of breath now, the last high note leaving him just oh- so-slightly tired but there was a gleam in his eyes and his mouth was wide in the brightest smile Keith had ever seen, his lips glistened as he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip before breaking into a grin, he looked - if Keith dared to even think it- beautiful.

Then his eyes met Keith's and Keith saw Lance's eyes grow just that little bit wider and his smile melt into a look Keith couldn't even begin to decipher.

Slowly Keith got up. "That was- that was, good. Really, really good," he announced loudly.

Keith almost cringed at how genuine he sounded, how awed he sounded. Shiro gave him a smug look, Shay and Allura smiled. Lance smiled too, his previous unreadable expression breaking into a broad grin, his eyes and nose scrunching up a little as he did this and the faintest tint of red dusting his tan cheeks.

Keith's breath hitched.

Great.

He'd only known this guy for maybe ten minutes and he was already fucked.

Chatter died down into silence and Shiro looked up at Lance hopefully, "So, what do you say?" Lance visibly deflated, he sighed but smiled at Shiro lightly, "I'll check with the boss."

Shiro pumped his fist into the air in victory, "Hell yes!" Lance smiled at him and jumped off the stage, "Now I should really get going-" before he could finish his sentence Shay trapped Lance in a big hug, he smiled softly, "well okay then." Shay laughed, still holding onto the brunette, "This is going to be so much fun I can't wait to tell Romelle, she's gonna freak!" Keith watched, confusion probably evident on his face - did Romelle know Lance too? Allura also jumped into the hug, Shiro after her, all three chattering excitedly while the brunette in the middle gargled out, "Guys, y-you're chocking me!" 

Shiro laughed, loosening his embrace, "You have to tell us the moment Ezor says you can join us, okay? We really need to start practicing." Lance laughed, "I'm pretty sure she'll say yes, don't worry Shiro." Keith assumed Ezor was the captain of the Dance club - he himself had asked almost a hundred times before Acxa - the captain of the film club - gave him permission to help with the musical. Shay, Shiro and Allura let go of Lance eventually and laughed as the boy previously held prison in there did a couple of exaggerated coughs to celebrate his freedom. 

Then Lance looked at Keith, who was now standing alone a couple feet away from everyone. As the others engaged in idle chatter Lance walked over to Keith and smiled at him. He picked up his things from the chair he'd put them and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket as he draped it over his shoulders. He stood there facing Keith, awkwardly. Keith swallowed, "So I know that we didn't start things on the right foot but..." he said and held out his hand to Lance, his cheeks getting hotter and probably redder, "Friends?"

Lance's smile was brighter than the sun, and the faint red from before seemed to make a reappearance on his cheeks. "Friends," He said and shook Keith's hand. He was just so slightly shorter than Keith - he wouldn't have been two months ago but Keith had a growth spurt very very recently. His hand was smaller than Keith's too and so so so soft, he must moisturize.

"Also can we make Janis a guy?"

"No way."

"Come on Keith!" Lance whined, dragging on Keith's name, "We can change her name from Janis Ian to Ian Janis!"'

"No way," Keith said once again before smirking decidedly at Lance, "plus... I think you'd make a cute girl.'

Lance glared at Keith, his face like a strawberry, "I hate you," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're the worst." Keith faux-pouted, "Come on, we had a bonding moment," he grinned. Lance got even redder - Keith didn't think it was possible, "Nope, didn't happen, don't remember," he said turning his nose up and looking anywhere but at Keith. Allura chuckled from where her, Shay and Shiro were - had they been watching? "Get a room you two!" She yelled. Lance groaned, throwing his arms up into the air in exasperation and flipped her off, "I'm leaving!" He announced and immediately started marching towards the door, slinging his bag around his shoulder. Kieth smirked, "Bye, Lance," he said, voice calm as his eyes followed the boy out of the auditorium.

"BYE!" Lance said, he sounded angry - embarrassed is a better word for it actually.

The sound of laughter followed him out the door, and Keith felt pointed stares at him as Lance slammed the auditorium door behind him. "What?" he said, raising an accusatory eyebrow. Shiro grinned, "Oh nothing..." he said. Allura chuckled, "Except you're totally in love with Lance aren't you?"

"Am not!" Keith guffawed.

Shiro grinned, Allura and Shay mirroring him, "Whatever you say bud."


End file.
